Ax-blade.



lNirED STATES vPATEM?A OFFICE. s

JAMES WALTER GRAHAM, OF OLD FORT, NORTH CAROLINA.

AX-BLAD E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,234, dated July 10, 1900,

Application filed Dotober 28J 1.899. Serial No. 735,094. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, J AMEs WALTER GRA- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Old Fort, in the county of McDowell and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Ax-Blade, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to axes and other implements having similar cutting-blades, and has for its object to provide an improved form of blade which is balanced to facilitate the manipulation thereof, is designed to increase the penetration of the blade with decreased power, and is also capable of a rocking movement within the bight or incision made by the blade, so as to loosen the latter, and thereby facilitate the removal of the blade from y the incision.

To these ends the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from the spirit or saericin g any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ax-blade constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the upper edge thereof. Fig. S is a longitudinal sectional view of the blade. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the linee' a of Fig. 2.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings are' designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the ax-head, having the blade 2 at one end and the poll 8 at the opposite end thereof and provided with the usual eye l for the reception of a handle. The blade 2 is of substantially the same thickness throughout its length, is preferably widerA than the head, which it overlaps, as at 5, both at the upper and lower sides, and its forward end is beveled, as at 6, so as to facilitate the grinding 0r sharpeningthereof. As best shown in Figs.

l and 2, the head is thicker than the blade and the opposite sides of its forward end are formed into beveled shoulders 7, which inoline into the blade, so as not to present abrupt stop-shoulders, which would impair the cutting qualities of the blade.

Located centrally and extending longitudinally upon each side of the blade is a wedgeshaped 'thickened portion or enlargement 8, which tapers or inclines from the adjacent outer face of the head forwardly into the'side of the blade and at the cutting edge thereof, so as to form a wedge, the opposite sides of which diverge from the cutting edge to the forward end of the head, and narrower than the blade to present a comparatively-small surface for friction and at the same time maintain the maximum cutting edge.

At the rear end of each side of the wedge there is provided a circular convex raised enlargement ior knee 9, from the centerof which the outer surface thereof is rounded or convexed radially at substantially right angles. The forward portion gradually merges into the wedge, and the other portions round off into the surfaces of the head, so that the center of the knee is the thickest portion of the entire `ax-head and is adapted to form apivot or fulcrum point upon which the head. may be rocked to loosen the same from an incision made bythe blade.

It will be understood that in the operation of the improved ax the cutting edge thereof operates for its entire length, while only the comparatively-small surface of the opposite wed ges is presented for frictional contact with the opposite sides of the incision made bythe cutting edge, whereby the maximum cutting edgeis preserved and the maximum frictional surface is provided.

To remove the ax-head from an incision, it is rocked upon the centers of the opposite convex knees as an axis, said knees forming the greatest thickness of the head, thereby loosening the head and permitting of the same being easily removed from the incision.`

What is claimed is l. An ax-head, having means for the attachment of a handle, and opposite knees projecting laterally from opposite sides-of the head,located between the cutting edge thereof IOO and the means for the attachment of a handle, and rounded or conveXed in directions at substantially right angles.

2. An aX-head, having an eye for the reception of a handle, and a pair of convexed and substantially-circular knees projecting laterally from opposite sides of the head, l0- cated between the eye and the cutting edge of the head, and rounded both longitudinally and transversely of the latter.

3. An aX-head, comprising a poll, a blade thinner than the poll and of substantially the same thickness throughout its length, longitudinal wedges provided upon opposite sides of the blade, located centrally thereof, inclined outwardly and rearwardly from the cutting edge of the blade, and narrower than the length of said cutting edge, and outwardly and rearwardly inclined shoulders located at the forward end of the head, upon opposite sides thereof, and at opposite sides of each wedge.

4. An ax-head, having each side provided with a longitudinal centrally-disposed wedge inclining outwardly' and rearwardly from the cutting edge of the blade, and a convex knee located at the rear end of the wedge, having its forward surface merging into the wedge, and the remainder of the surface gradually rounding into the side of the head, said knees being alined transversely of the head, and providing a fulcrum therefor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. An aX-head, comprising a poll, having an intermediate eye for the reception of a handle, a blade thinner than the poll and of substantially the same thickness throughout its length, opposite outwardly and rearwardly inclined shoulders at the forward end of the poll and upon opposite sidesy of the ax, outwardly and rearwardly inclined wedges upon opposite sides of the blade and intermediate of the respective opposite inclined shoulders, and a convexed knee at the rear end of each wedge, and located between the adjacent inclined shoulders and the eye for the'reccp tion of a handle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES WALTER GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

JosEPHUs BLANToN, E. S. THOMAS. 

